Wish
by aslMeno
Summary: It started with a regret, one that lingered in Ace's mind minute's away from his deathbed; to see Luffy complete his dream. So what would happen if an unknown source wished away that regret? Waking up on the Going Merry at the start of Luffy's adventure, Ace tags along on the journey, deciding to change his fate when his journey comes to an end.
1. Chapter 1

**:note:**

**Okay, I know I shouldn't be starting another FF because I still have to complete the others...BUT I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. Kay xD?**

**Yes. Yes I already know. Another –**_**Ace is alive :D *HIP HIPP HORRAY!**_**- FF… a little like my other one…**

**BUT.**

**It will be different. -DUN DUNN DUNNN-**

**How?**

**1) – It **_**will **_**be finished. I hate it when you're into a great FF and then suddenly...*BOOM* It ends. Just like that. And you're left hanging there with all your feels…;Q;-Though that doesn't mean I won't finish my other one ._.  
**

**2) – AH. There will be **_**NO **_**parings in this. I am sorry for people who like paring FF's...But I really can't write them. If I did, it would ruin the story for all of us xD … *Though Ace **_**will **_**have very, **_**very **_**bad case called… a brother complex. xD* **

**3) – I will hardly stick to the canon. ;Q; Some people might not like that, but it makes it less boring...! YEAAH.**

**4) This is not a typical –**_**Ace is alive :D *HIP HIPP HORRAY!* **_**- FF. xD**

**5) There **_**is **_**a solid ending to this. Basically it is already written in my head, so I do know what I am doing xD**

**This is also a **_**lighter **_**story than the others. Less on the angst side xD. ;A;**

**Reviews will help with the process though... xD. Even if it's a measly couple of words, it reminds me that you guys still want to hear from me...-cries as cheesy music plays in background-**

**ANYWAYS.**

**ONWARDS WITH THE STORY.**

**Disclaimer: No. Just no.**

**...xD` **

**(P.S Warning to people who haven't read my other story…you will **_**very **_**quickly realize I talk a lot. It's a seriously bad habit of mine xD.)**

* * *

_Chapter 1 _

* * *

Ace didn't know how to react with what he was faced with.

A moment earlier, he was fighting; running for his life, unable to comprehend if/what was going to happen in the following seconds. Moment's blurred with anxiety, adrenaline, fear, hope. He couldn't exactly tell how long time had passed since he was freed by his brother. It was all a blur. Seconds passed by, places, faces, shouts, screams…all forgotten.

Though he could _easily _remember the last few seconds of those moments.

He had felt no pain, surprisingly. All he felt was emotions, thousands of them trying to burst out in the last few seconds he had of drawing breathes. He had felt the shuddering of his brother, trying to hold himself up despite the damage the boy had already received. The fellow short and racing breaths; similar to his own, rushing down his back as the boy called out his name.

"A-Ace..?"

It was pleading. A pleading voice; a pleading tone, a pleading brother who desperately tried to tell himself what his eyes were seeing weren't true. But Ace knew that was all in vain. He knew that jumping in front of Akainu would be one of the last decisions he'd ever make. He knew that everything his family; his friends' had done to save him would go to waste.

Yet he still did it.

Even though he still had wishes, things he wanted to complete before he ceased to be, he couldn't say that in those last moments that he regretted his life.

Yet he couldn't say he had no regrets at all.

He had one, just one…

…to see Luffy to complete his dream. To find One Piece, attain total freedom, having nothing holding him back; having being able to swift aside the world's dark and devilish sins to achieve what he truly wanted.

With those last thoughts, Ace smiled, allowing the darkness to take over his mind; his body, feeling all life drain out at the tip of his fingers, feeling his mind be pulled away, attracted to a certain noise, a voice even.

Seconds passed, the noise only being compared to that of a timer, ticking away, waiting for something-_someone _to fill in the empty space which smothered around him. He drew in silent, phantom breaths which still tried to fill in air to his dead-now meaningless lungs. Suddenly, a familiar sense tingled down his immobile arms, one that many devil fruits knew all too well.

He was sinking. The water clasped around his mouth; his nose, causing those phantom breaths to quicken, fright passing though Ace's veins. He tried to scream, shout even, but nothing passed out of his lips, the only sound being the water rushing by him, until seconds later, he heard it. The voice he had yearned to hear distantly called, unrecognizable voices joining the sound which vibrated its way to Ace's ears. He tried to lift his arms up towards the noises, but the water stuck to his skin, dragging him down.

Finally, he stopped struggling, allowing for the water to push his arms down towards what looked like an abyss, his consciousness fading away, leaving nothing but the noises to surround him.

Then.

It went quiet.

Noise returned, but this time, it was muffled.

He had woken up, surprisingly… something he was defiantly not expecting to do. Had he died? The death was still clear in his mind, forever repeating it, trying to grasp the situation he was now in.

Lightly opening his eyes, his pupils swiftly scanned the area he was in, the light overtaking his sight. Wincing, he drew up his hand, shadowing his eyes, carefully lifting up his head to get a better view, meeting with the sight of his bare chest.

_Bare_?

Now _that _was impossible. Intersecting Akainu's hit would have surely killed him, let alone leave a scar. His mind blurred, senses numbing from the previous adrenaline.

Was it all a dream? A crazy, lunatic-_psychotic even_ – dream which he had mustered up in his mind?

It wasn't _completely_ impossible.

After all, the whole time he had spent in Impel Down was beginning to get slightly hazy; though he was unable to tell if that was due to the seastone-cuffs, the lack of food, or the fact that his mind was trying to permanently delete all the pain; all the suffering he had been forced to live through back in that hell-hole.

Distant snores broke Ace from his line of thought, causing his gaze to flicker over to the source of the sound, the adrenaline returning as a familiar face caught his sight.

Someone he had _defiantly _not expected to see so soon was perched next to him, sleeping soundly; a calm and composed look plastered on his face as he mumbled in his sleep.

"L-Luffy?"

* * *

**And there is the first chapter!**

**As I said, I have already written most of this story –**_**kind of**_**…empathise the 'kind of'- out, so the next chapter shall **_**hopefully **_**be out soon!**

**Thank you for reading, I don't mind any type of feedback and always love to hear from you guys :'3 **

**So….**

**That's all folks ;3 **

**-aslMeno**


	2. Chapter 2

**:note: **

**So here is the next chapter! **

**Thank you to the people who reviewed, followed and favourited the last chapter, this is for you guys xD. **

**I won't talk long…my habit might kick in again xD. **

**SO.**

**Onto this chapter! xD.**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this? No. I don't own it. =.= *mumbles* Though imagine all the money…the sweet, swee- *coughs* ._. You saw nothing. **

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

"L-Luffy?" He wondered out loud. There was his brother, settled close to him sleeping; a calm and composed look plastered on his face as he mumbled in his sleep.

_This _confused him even more. If it had been a dream, would he not have woken up on his striker; Oyaji's ship even? As far as Ace knew, Luffy had been far away from both areas, so why was he here now, sleeping beside of him?

"U-Um…" Another noise hit the air; Ace instinctively lighted himself up, staring at an orange haired girl who looked similar to the age of Luffy who had knelt beside his bed, mirroring his wide eyes.

Continuing to stare at the girl, the girl simply smiled, handing him a wet towel, though obviously still showing signs of caution. "This is for you, to bring your fever down…" Her eyes quickly guided to the fire which was dancing on Ace's shoulder, before looking back at his face with a stunned expression. "Y-You might want to pu-put it on that instead though…"

Raising an eyebrow, Ace looked over to his shoulder, the girl now pointing at it with a horrified look, unable to tell why the man is not already screaming in pain. Ace sighed, controlling the fire to dye down, making the girl calmer, but still confused.

"H-How..."

"Who are you?" He interrupted, bluntly getting across his thoughts to the girl. She did look familiar, wasn't she one of Luffy's crew?

"Eh?" The girl returned to look at the freckled man's face, lowering her hand and bringing all her attention to him. She slowly gave him a distant smile, raising her opposite hand over her right shoulder. "I'm Nami, This ship's Navigator." Ace simply nodded in response to her answer, his eyes still glazed, trying hard to figure out what was going on. "And you are?"

Breaking out of his thought, he raised an eyebrow. Hadn't he already introduced himself to Luffy's crew back in Alabasta…?

"You don't know?"

Crossing her arms, the girl –now known as Nami-thought, her own eyes wondering off, searching her mind to see if she could match his face to ones she knows. "Am I supposed to?"

Ace nodded slightly, before holding out his hand to shake, a slight look of confusion on his face. "My name's Ace. Pleasure…pleasure to meet you."

Taking a hold of his hand, Nami sent him a pleasant smile, before her eyes wandered over to her sleeping captain, her eyebrow raising. "D-Do you happen to know Luffy?"

Turning his head to see his brother, Ace gave a small laugh, nodding as his sight returned to the questioning girl. "Yeah, I do." This was strange. Sure, he didn't expect everyone he met to remember him, but hadn't he spent nearly a week with Luffy's crew? Not only that was strange, but the fact that he was even alive was…_unexpected._ "Uh, do you mind telling me where I am?"

Nami smiled as she put her hands on her hips. "You're in the East Blue, and we're currently heading towards Lougetown. The ship you're on is the Going Merry, and our idiot of a captain is Luffy over there."

Ace stared at the girl with wide eyes, as he made sure what she was telling him was correct.

_East Blue…_

_and…Louge…town? _

"…W-What."

_….Shit_.

No,no,no,n-. This couldn't be happening.

He knows for definite that Luffy had already visited Lougetown. He remembers him telling him about it back when he visited him in Alabasta.

He also knows that Luffy would never turn back and visit East Blue; it would go against his absurd pride of his.

Not even to mention the fact that he knows that where he previously was, was nowhere near where he was now.

If this girl wasn't lying then…

…then that leaves only one thing.

Only one explanation came to mind when he put all his problems together.

One ridiculous and crazy explanation which shouldn't even exist.

"O-Oi. Are you okay?"

The sound of the orange haired girl startled the fire-thrower from his thoughts, his sight turning to her as he brushed his hand through his hair. "Yeah, sorry. Was just, _surprised_…that's all."

"Ace…?" Before Nami could ask, a mumble came from the side of Ace's bed, before a mixture of black, blue and red attacked Ace, flinging him back onto the ground. On top of him laid a beaming Luffy, a toothy grin plastered on his face as he looked down on Ace. "It really is you!"

Unknowingly smiling back at the straw-hatted boy, Ace put his hand on Luffy's back nodding. "Been a while Lu…" The words left his mouth before he realized what he had said. That wasn't right, was it? Hadn't he just been on the battlefield with him?

Flinging his hands up, Luffy rolled off of the ex-commander and turned to Nami, who was standing there a little startled. "Hey! Nami! Have you met Ace?"

Glad to see that her captain did in fact know the man in front of her, she smiled back, nodding. "Yeah! I've only just though." Her stare returned to the said-Ace, as she slightly pointed to him. "How do you two know each other?"

"Eh?" Looking at Nami with surprise, Luffy laughed. "I haven't told you? Ace is my brother!"

"Br-other?" Nami question, her eyes widening, before her mouth hit the floor. "The Whitebeard Pirate is your brother?!" Shrieking, she yet again pointed at the fire thrower, surprise obviously showing throughout her face.

"So you did know who I am."

Holding her face in her hand as she tried to calm her senses, she sighed. "Of course I know who you are. The tattoo on your back was obviously telling of your status. You're a Whitebeard commander, right?"

Luffy tuned in at this, turning to face his brother. "Eh? Ace, you joined a crew?!" Luffy stretched to fling himself onto the bedside in front of Ace, crossing his feet.

Silent, Ace was devoured by his thoughts once more.

Luffy didn't know he was a Whitebeard Pirate.

Unfortunately, to Ace's dismay this only confirmed his crazy idea of an explanation even more.

Now don't get him wrong, he wasn't known for being the most observant commanders under Whitebeard's command -_actually, it was quite the opposite_-, but he could _easily_ tell that none of this was right.

Standing up from where he was laying, -surprising the company he had- he quickly fell on the side of the wall, suddenly out of breath and gasping for air. Keeping himself steady from falling, his eyes quickly peeled down to his chest, where the pain was coming from.

He nearly choked on air when he saw a gaping hole in the center of his chest, bleeding and surrounded by wounds from Impel Down.

He had died...

He _was _dead.

This was all some deluded dream, not the opposite.

..._Right_?

Quickly looking back up to Luffy, he saw a startled face staring at him as he felt his brothers hands grasp his shoulders, reality settling back in as sounds started to vibrate against his ears once more. "Ace..?! Can you hear me?"

Glancing back down at his chest again, he saw_ nothing_. Not one scratch lay across his skin. Tiredness started to drain down his veins, as he pleadingly looked at his brother once more before darkness took a hold of him again.

* * *

**\(8Q8)/ T'IS DONE.**

**A quite un-eventful chapter...**

** I know ;w;. *cries in corner*  
**

**But you see, we needed a chapter for our extremely slow Ace to come to terms with whats happening xD. **

**Though even after this he probably won't accept it. xD.**

**I hope you still enjoyed it though! *IT-TOOK-2-HOURS-TO-WRITE-DAMN-YOU-WRITERS-BLO-***

**I updated two stories in one night though. ._. *WOAAAAAAH.***

**Also, be sure to check out my other story! I would deeply appreciate it...*MAUAHAHA.***

**...THANKYOU...To all the people who reviewed in the last chapter, I honestly love to read your reviews -good or _bad_- and it makes me heart jump a bit when I see them in my mailbox. *cheesy music plays* xD.**

**Also a thankyou to all the people who pressed the favorite and follow buttons. I don't forget you guys :'3**

**So yeah.**

**Tell me what you think of this Shaptah~ *french accent***

**That's all folks ;3  
**

**-aslMeno**


	3. Chapter 3

**:note:**

**IT'S ANOTHER UPDATE \(._.)/ *cheers***

**I felt like I had such an amazing response from the last chapter! Thank you guys ;W;!  
**

**Yes. This story is supposed to be confusing xDD. Heck. Even I'm getting a bit confused...and I'm writing it xD.  
**

**_But _****everything will _eventually_ make sense :'3 **

**So I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Ha. I _wish_. WAIT. NO. I TAKE THAT BACK. *PUN*.-Oh god. I am so childish xD.  
**

**(P.S I am ill again. Yes. The winter bug has caught me yet again and I feel like a snowman roasting on the sun. _Again xD. _\(._.)/ I have seriously bad luck.)**

* * *

_Chapter 3 _

* * *

_"...Was I a good father?"  
_

Ace jolted up, a sweat _almost_-forming on his head as he gasped for breath, bringing his hand up to his chest. The sound of his rapidly beating heart swarming his ears' almost blocked out the sound of his brother shouting his name, concern edging the ends of his voice.

"-ce!"

Looking down again at his chest, he was faced with it bare;_complete_ unlike a few moments ago. His pupils started to tremble as he brought his hand up to his forehead, leaning it into his palm as his jaw clenched, trying hardest not to let the tears which were begging to fall leave his eyes. A small whisper came from his lips, lowering his head more towards the ground with each word. "How...-How could he ask that?!"

"-ce!"

Digging his fingernails into his palm which was holding his forehead, he felt his own Haki activating;doing nothing to stop it as the scarlet liquid dripped from his hand. "Of...-Of course you were!" Memories started to fill his vision, Whitebeard standing before him, asking him that _one last _question.

"_Ace! _What are you doing?!" A hand reached out from in front of him, startling him from his thoughts;causing him to look up at the said hand, his pupils clearing. There in front of him knelled his brother, confusion swelled up in his face as he griped Ace's shoulder tightly. "Yo-You're bleeding..."

"Huh?" Ace dumbly looked at Luffy, before staring at his hand which was now smothered in blood, his eyebrows' raising. Sighing, he shook his head, shaking his memories of the war away for a moment, quickly wiping the blood from his hand on his shorts, as he turned his head to re-check his location, much like before.

He was in a room similar to the one before, however this time _Nami?_ wasn't anywhere to be seen, and Luffy was _very_ much awake before him. The previous memories of collapsing caught up to him, his eyes once again widening as he turned to look back at Luffy.

Before he got to say anything, Luffy tilted his head and spoke, his eyes still filled with confusion.

"O-Oi. Ace...Are you feeling alright?"

This caused Ace to twitch. He had_ never_ heard his brother say anything like that before...he never had to. He was _always _alright;Luffy was the one who needed to be worried about,_ not someone_ _like him_.

But that wasn't the thing that made his feelings flare for that second. It was the tone of his voice. It was much too like the last words Luffy had said to him.

_**/**"A-Ace..?"**/** _

Inwardly slapping that memory away, he nodded towards his brother, sighing as he held up his hand pretending to yawn. "I'm guessing that fucking Narcolepsy kicked in again, Hey-Lu?" He asked in a questioning tone, sending the straw-hatted boy a convincing smile.

Luffy continued to stare at his brother, his eyes still filled with-_pain?_ as his eyebrow's crossed, his mouth hissing a "Hmph." sound as it turned into a grin, giggles falling from his lips as he nodded. "Yeah! You really freaked out this time though..." Giggling interrupted his voice again, as he stood from where he was kneeling. "Nami got scared away because of it!"

A slight grunt could be heard from the door, eyes obviously glaring from the mikan-colored girl at the oblivious captain, causing Ace to grow a slight smile, sending Luffy a shaded laugh as he held the back of his head. "My bad..."

For a split of a second, Ace swore he saw Luffy send him the pained glare again. Blinking, he re-opened his eyes to the grinning brother he knew, grabbing his hand which was placed at the back of his head, dragging him out of the bed and across the room, causing Ace to trip and stutter in his words.

"O-Oi Luffy!"

The straw-hatted figure said nothing, not even glancing behind as he continued to pull him along, opening the door out onto the upper-half of the deck. Staring at the back of his brother, it was obvious that the boy was tense;the fire-user's eyes widening for a second as he saw his brother's shoulder's slightly shaking. Halting in his steps, Ace freed his hand from his brother, causing the said person to turn around with wide eyes. "Ace?"

"What's up Lu?" The words immediately fell from his mouth, causing the commander's head to face the ground, his eyebrow twitching, thought's clouding his mind.

This, this _couldn't_ be a dream, could it?

Everything around him felt real enough;_heck..._even the wind which was now blowing against his skin was real enough to wake someone from a nightmare.

He unconsciously glanced down at his chest, remembering the lava fist which ripped through him;which ended his life.

And then he woke up..._here._

_Here_...where Luffy seemed younger...

_here _where nothing of the war had even happened yet.

Luffy interrupted his thoughts, giving Ace an easily questionable "Eh?" as his eyes blinked, thought's obviously trying to figure out what his older brother had actually asked, slowly pointing to the sky as he grinned, proud of himself. "The sky Ace. Everybody knows that."

Silence passed by the two brother's, as Ace stared at Luffy blankly, his eyes trailing up to the sky as he gave a heavy sigh, shaking his head, a smile slowly creeping on his lips, all of his confused thoughts fading away.

There was just one thing he knew right now...

Luffy was _still_ Luffy.

Despite wherever _here _was.

Remembering his brother's previous actions, he stopped his head moving and looked around the outside of the room, surrounded by the comforting sight of the sea. His emotions started to mix, as he looked at the figure-head of the ship, remembering the Merry quite well from his previous visit;back in Alabasta. Looking back at his proud brother, he smiled, his eyes softer than before. "So what did you bring me out here for Lu?"

Realization seemed to peek in the boy as he grinned even wider, re-taking Ace's hand as his steps got quicker, dragging Ace along the hallways of the ship as he started to babble. "You haven't met everyone yet!" Slowing down in his steps, he pushed open a door which lead out to the lower-half of the deck, Ace easily recognizing the people which stood before them, all eyes landing on him and his brother.

Letting go of his hand, Luffy lept in front of Ace and the crew, his hair bouncing in the wind as his toothy grin smothered his face. "Ace meet my crew!"

The freckled man's eyes quickly rushed over all of the people in front of him, a frown creasing on the end's of his lips. He had defiantly seen all these people before;but some where missing.

As crazy as it sounded, wasn't there a princess and a talking reindeer before?

Breaking the silence, the blon-_Sanji_ spoke up, cigarette still in mouth. "Eh? Isn't he the one who was floating in the sea?"

This raised Ace's eyebrow's, but before he had the chance to ask, the long-nosed gu-_Usopp_ yelped, hiding behind Nami as he shook. "I-I-Isn't h-e the W-W-Whi-White-beard com-mande-r y-ou w-were tal-king ab-bout...?!"

Opening his eyes at this statement, the gree-_Zoro _looked Ace up and down, his eyes glaring at him with suspicion. "Hm?" He huffed, closing one of his eyes, his glare still throwing at the commander. "A Whitebeard Pirate, huh? What's someone like you doing in East Blue?"

"..."

_Shit. _

He could say anything couldn't he? He wouldn't be judged by these dream people-_who looked/acted ridiculously like his brother and his crew_-if he were to say anything crazy..._would he?_

But there was still that light of hope that told him that _this _was the real world, not the other way round.

Maybe there was a way he would just accept and get used to what _the holy hell _was happening to him.

And maybe that was why when he was asked what happened;he answered the truth.

_-doing that of course with the exception of leaving out all of the **very** vital details._

"I can't remember." Ace responded bluntly as he closed his eyes, causing the thick silence which rendered the deck earlier to appear again;everyone unsure of how to respond to the statement.

"..." Sensing the silence wouldn't break at any point, the swordsman re-opened his eye, picking up the sword beside him and traipsing past where the fire-user was standing.

Before anyone else had any time to respond as well, Nami's voice hit the sky with a shout, causing everyone to fully wake up. "Lougetown! It's right up ahead!"

As soon as her words were said, Luffy rushed to the front of the ship, his eyes filled with wonder. Following close behind, Ace caught up to Luffy at the figure-head, his eyes distant as he gazed at the island ahead.

"The town of beginning and the end." Luffy whispered;mostly to himself, placing the straw hat which hung around his neck lightly on his head. "Yosh!" He grew a toothy grin, which smothered his face yet again. "Let's go!"

* * *

**UGH.  
**

**_That _was a pain to write.  
**

**This is probably the chapter out of this _whole story_ which I didn't want to write xD. *seriously ._.*  
**

**BUT T'IS DONE WELL \(;W;)/ **

***coughs*-_w__illprobablyre-editsomeofthewordsintheverydistantfuture-_**

**Double update though! -_for reader's Wanted!Dead or Alive~!-__..._'Cause that story has now hit 100 reviews *Q* -skips in a field of daisy's while laughing manically- ~(*Q*)~  
**

**Thank you _so _much to all of the people that reviewed on the last chapter, I read every single one of them -_and the replies are down below_-, and each one of them made honestly smile :'3 *cheesy romance music plays***

**The next chapter _will _be longer than the others, because they'll be landing in *trumpets play* Lougetown! ._.  
**

**There will probably be two chapter's covering the Lougetown Arc thingy...-_can you even call it an arc?xD_- And both of them will be around the 5,000 word mark! :'3 **

**So do you know what's going on yet? **

**...**

**xD. **

**Here are the responses to the reviews! **

**MoonlightQueenSnow: I hope you enjoyed it! :'3 Yay~! xD.**

**mozaya: No problem! Yes...*laughs evilly* Those questions' _will _be answered, -maybe not too soon- but everything _will _eventually start to make total sense.**

**shadowmarialove: I'm happy that you liked it :'3 I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! ~(*Q*)~**

**AnniBananni: -Love your name btw ;D xD- *does a roly poly* Hopefully the confusiness will get less...confusiness soon! I'm glad you enjoyed this story, and I hope you liked the update :'3 !**

**fairyofthelake: I'm glad you think so! :'3 *cries* I'm_ hoping _it will make sense soon :'3 I hoped you like the new chapter! **

**Animezpeps: He might still be, he might not...*laughs manically* I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to find out with the chapter's...;D :'3 I hoped you enjoyed this one!**

**neverfall16: Thanks! :3 I have updated~! *cries with happiness* **

**FayTheFreedom: Yes. T'is weird xD. I hope you enjoyed the chapters xD.**

**sess18: Great! I'm happy you found it good \(;W;)/ I have updated!**

**MegDBrew: I'm glad it has the 'WOW' effect xD! :'3 I have updated! ;'3**

**uncageduzu x2: Muahahahaha. ;D *laughs while writing, martini in hand* I love leaving cliffhanger's, keeps people on edge xD. Or that might be my evil side talking. The next chapter is now out! I hope you enjoy it :'3**

***collapses* -pfffff- *falls on pillow* T'is done :3 **

**Again _thankyou _to all the people who reviewed, I honestly love hearing from you guys!The next one should be out next week, so stay tuned! :'3**

**That's all folks ;3  
**

**-aslMeno**


	4. Chapter 4

**:note:**

**Hi there! :'3 *waves***

**xD. T'is me again with another chapter~! **

**G-Guys...*tears up* Thanks for the amazing feedback from the last chapter! xD (/;4;)/~ *glomps you all* ;D Cheers. xD.**

**My mind lately has just given up on thinking, ._. which comes in as a pain when you're trying to write *hits brain with chainsaw*. So that is why there has been a delay on this chapter! Freaking mind. PFF. Always getting in the way. This _was _supposed to be a _long _chapter...But its not. It's rather short actually...*APOLOGIES ;W;*  
**

**ANYWAYS! **

**This is a slight-AU FF, So things _will _change in the Lougetown Arc-thing. **

**I don't think anymore needs to be said on that manner xD. **

**ONTO THE CHAPTER! :D**

**Disclaimer: ._. Hi Oda.**

**(P.S HOLAY SHIET. ITS SO FREAKING COLD HERE. *turn's into ice cube* Seriously though...I think we have hit the Apocalypse people (Owo)/. One minute, we're flooded, the next we have a freaking heat wave and now it's like we're living in the Antarctic. . Freaking weather is piss-drunk again.)  
**

* * *

_Chapter 4 _

* * *

Ace stared hesitantly at the dock, repeatedly questioning in his mind whether it was a wise choice to step upon the island once more. He clearly remembers the last time he was here, being overwhelmed by the shock that this is where **_that man _**was born;let alone executed.

His brother certainly didn't seem hesitant however, for Ace was interrupted from his thoughts by a nearby laughing teen, laughing the memorable laugh like he has throughout his life. The said teen took his place next to the freckled man, a grin placed on his face. "S-shishi! Ace! Doesn't this island look amazing?" Grunting in response, Ace slowly turned his gaze over to his brother, his eyes narrowing.

"You haven't been here before?" He asked cautiously, inwardly sighing as he saw his brother send him his normal oblivious face;blinking a few times before once again sending the fire-user a grin.

"Nope!" Laughing once more, Luffy jumped over the side of the boat, landing perfectly on the dock-side before turning back to face Ace from below, his smile faltering. "Aren't you coming?"

Sighing once more, Ace got up from where he was perched on the rail, any signs of content fading completely as he glared at the ground in front of him, feeling the faint flames flickering on his shoulders.

"You know if you keep pulling that face people are going to think that your mentally shitting all the time."

"...Huh?" Turning around to face the bearer of the voice, Zoro stood there behind the freckled man;his arms crossed, looking as pissed as Ace previously did.

Before he had time to respond, another voice hit the air, belonging to the more eccentric navigator. "You're the last person I want to hear that from."

Twitching, the swords-man turned to face the mikan-haired girl, a scowl spreading across his already irritated face. "Was I talking to you?"

Turning away from the bickering duo, Ace grimaced;slowly making his way to the edges of the boat, lightly jumping off the side to his now joyful brother. Mirroring his brother's smile;Ace tried his best to forget all his worries from before as he walked aside the excited captain, _nearly_-laughing at the boy's fascination in the small city.

They had found themselves wandering into a nearby market;the aroma's of the sights and smells quickly bringing the brother's;curiosity getting the better of them.

Swinging his head round get a better view of the stalls;Ace's eyes started to soften, tired from the pained look they had been stained with for what seemed an eternity.

"Is there any place you want to go in particular, Lu?" Ace asked, smirking as he saw the younger leaning over an elderly lady's stall;eyes practically sparkling at the foreign objects.

Flinging his head over his shoulder's to see Ace's, Luffy blinked several times, before eyes lit up with remembrance. Pacing away from the lady's stall, he took a place next to Ace's;grinning with adventure written all over his face. "Yup!" Popping the 'p' on the answer, he started to laugh once more, before realization peeked in his eyes, staring at his brother with a blank face. "You probably wouldn't want to come though."

Hearing Luffy's words, Ace's stomach turned slightly, already guessing where it was that his brother wanted to go. Nodding at the choice of words;he put up his hand slightly, sending his brother a smile before he took a step in the opposite direction. "For once Lu, I'll take your word for it."

Staring at the freckled man's decision, Luffy grinned, throwing up his hand to match Ace's as he started to run ahead. "Mm! See you later!"

Watching as Luffy disappeared into the crowd, Ace let out a huge sigh;throwing his hand up to his forehead as he paced over to small shadowed street;leaning aside a wall. Bringing the palm of his hand over his eyes, he stood there in silence;replaying the last few hours continuously in his mind, biting down on his lip as he remembered his _dying _words.

_How could he do that to Luffy?_

_I-If it was true;if all of what surrounded the war really happened..._

_...then what would have happened to his brother?_

_Was he maybe still out there?_

**_N-no...That couldn't be right. _**

_He was just with him...Right?_

Bringing the palm swiftly off his eyes;his pupils scanned the area he was in, thinking where it is he should wander off to now. Deciding that he had no business anywhere else, he took it up to return to the ship.

Halting, Ace suddenly whipped his head around;slight fear written on his face.

The aura that hit the air just then...

..._it was powerful. _

Far too menacing for such a small city out in the East Blue. Wandering his eyes around the darkness, he clenched his fists, scowling at the emptiness which surrounded the small street. Glancing once more over his shoulder, he walked out onto the bustling walk-way;trying his best to ignore his instincts which were screaming to investigate the person it was radiating off.

Finally arriving at the dock, a slight smile crawled upon his face at the sight of his brother's ship;staring at the figure-head of the ship. The ship had a peaceful aroma -_unlike the one a few moments ago_-, much like the ship itself was wishing to invite it's Nakama home.

_Like it was home. _

His smile soon turned into a smirk, shaking the thoughts out of his head as he continued to head towards the caravel;before a edging tone hit the air around him.

"What is someone like you doing out here, Whitebeard Pirate?"

Whipping his head around to face to source of the sound, Ace instantly lept back, staring harshly into the smoke-filled eyes which penetrated at him with disgust. "Smoker..." Spitting out the words, his mind traveled back to the previous fight he had held with him, knowing well it resulted in zero-results.

Crossing his arms over his chest as he swiftly blew out another puff of smoke, the Marine clenched his fists;his eyes narrowing. "You never answered my question, pirate. I'll ask one more time..." Letting his hands fall to the sides of his body, Smoker flew forward, crashing the ground surrounding Ace as the pirate dodged the attack, the Marine gritting his teeth together. "What are the likes of you doing in a place like this?"

Landing easily on the ground behind him, Ace smirked;chuckling out words tinted with amusement. "Believe me, I would like to know that aswell."

* * *

**AH. I know..Before you kill me...I know that was a short update.  
**

**So, I'm going to quickly move on to the replies to the reviews, and sleep for another week. xD.**

_**REEEPPPLLIIEEESSSS~!**__**: ***_**trumpets start to play while confetti falls from the sky***

**FairyoftheLake: I have updated again xD! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter and I hope this one wasn't _too _short for you! :'3 There will be more next week, I promise you ;D.**

**yukiko hyuga-chan: I'm glad you love it! Here is a lil' more of it ;D. xD I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Animezpeeps: He hasn't seen much of it yet, so luckily he hasn't burned anyone to death yet ^w^. That's always a bonus xD. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**TheRealEvanSG: xDD. Yeaaaahh. *smiles awkwardly* I feel so bad for putting Ace through all this confusing stuff. And the mysterious things will have to stay mysterious! *falls into vortex of mystery* And Smoker was in this chapter! ;D. I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Natsu d uzumaki: Yup! You'll just have ta' find out ;D. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! **

**scatteredPhilosopher: The fight is coming probably sooner than a lot of people expected, seeing as Smoker has turned up at the end of this chapter. And yeah owo. Now that you mention it, it seems stupid he didn't use it back then xD. And *drumroll*...You'll just have to find out ;D. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**RobinLynnSpade x3: Ahh. Ace and his brother complex xDD. I love it so much. Right now, he probably seems calm and collected, but that's because of the war...;D xD. I honestly feel so mean for doing all this shit stuff to him, yet I still do it xD. ;W;. And Luffy and his simple-ness. I love that s'well xD. There's a little about Lougetown in this chapter, and Smoker has already met Ace! .3. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**rion-rion: I'm glad you liked it! Well...*laughs awkwardly* A lil' of the action with Ace and Smoker (not in a dirty way xD) has already started! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**TADAA! *collapses* **

**A great huge _THANKYOU _to all the people that reviewed, I honestly love hearing from you guys! **

**Hopefully there will be another chapter out next week, though I promise nothing. .3. xD.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and _thanks! _to all the followers ;D.**

**That's all folks ;3**

**-aslMeno**


	5. Chapter 5

**:note:**

**Yeaaaaah. I know this chapter is _super _late.  
**

**I mean really late. **

**BUT I HAVE A REASON! **

***tumbleweed***

**I lost the notes to this story so I had to re-do _alllll_ of it ;3;**

**Yep. *nods proudly* :'3 That's meh exc-REASON. ;D. **

**WARNING: Replies to reviews again in note. .3. I know. I'm terrible xD.**

**So, onto the story! **

**(P.S Well, this website is still up! Even though SOPA is 'supposed to happen tomorrow, I'm pretty certain that it isn't going to happen:'3! Thanks to all the people who did sign the petition, it's beat the target-thingy! Whether it was real or not, it's kinda better to be safe than sorry ;D.)**

* * *

_Chapter 5  
_

* * *

Ace stared at the Marine with curiosity, his mind traveling back to their previous encounter.

Observing the man's stance;it was quite obvious that to him, this was the first time they had met. Which to Ace was an advantage in some ways, but didn't exactly help the fact that this Marine looked ready to kill him there and then. Sighing, Ace grew a small smile, his eyes glinting mischievously.

Who said he wasn't allowed to have a little fun with the Vice-Commander, despite the situation he was in?

Smoker was the first to leap forward, biting down hard on the roll-up in his mouth as his arm dissolved into smoke. Aiming the _fist?_-at Ace's ribs, he grunted with surprise to the now vacant space that Ace was previously habiting. Hearing a chuckle behind him, he turned round instantly;not expecting to be faced with the Whitebeard Commander a few centimeters away from his face, a smirk planted across his lips.

"Have you got even weaker_ Smokey_?" Ace taunted, causing Smoker to sway his fist-hoping _dearly_ it would connect to the freckled man's jaw. However, his attempt failed, for the fire-thrower simply jumped up;his arms crossed over his chest. "Ah, Come on Smoker. Don't be so grumpy! I'm sure you'll be able to catch me one day!"

Twitching at Ace's words, Smoker stepped back slightly, wincing his eyes at the sunlight. "What the _hell _is Whitebeard thinking of doing with a small island like this, In the _East Blue _of all places?" Smoker yelled back, his arms returning to their flesh-y selves;his fists clenching.

Landing swiftly on the ground below, Ace uncrossed his arms. "Oi!" He shouted, placing his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with East Blue?!" Pouting, the Whitebeard Commander brought his palm up to his chin, his eyes wondering about. "Yeah sure, we're not the _strongest _of all islands..." He mumbled the last bit to himself, before looking back at Smoker. "...But Whitebeard want's nothing to do with this island. I'm simply here on leave." He stated.

Smoker's eyes narrowed, easily telling that the man's statement wasn't true. "You really expect me to believe that?"

Shrugging, Ace turned sideways towards a docked caravel. "I don't care if you believe me _Smokey_..." Smoker twitched at this, causing the fire-thrower to smirk once more. "...But if you honestly insist on fighting me here..." Ace took a step towards the Marine, his hand suddenly flaring into flames. "...then I have no other option than to oblige."

* * *

Luffy was lost.

Completely and utterly..._lost. _

Of course he had only realized this once someone had pointed out that he was now in fact on a hill-_covered with cows_.

The said someone was a farmer, questioning why the boy was randomly sitting out in his field;before recognizing the hat the boy had placed on his head.

"Where did ya' get that hat son?" The farmer asked, walking with a limp towards Luffy.

In return, Luffy simply stared at the man, before blinking. Rolling his eyes up to the brim of his hat, he placed his arm up to the center of it;bringing it off his head to stare at the object he had kept for ten years. "Shanks..." Luffy replied slowly, before glancing up to the farmer. "Shanks gave this to me." A small grin etched onto his face, remembering the man who he had looked up to since leaving him with his precious hat.

Looking through the spectacles he wore;the man looked genuinely surprised, looking down at the hat and back up to Luffy. "...Sha-nks?" He repeated slowly, before his eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh yes!" He jumped up, surprising both Luffy and the cows surrounding him at the sudden 'feeble' man's movements. "You're talking about that rookie pirate, Akagami Shanks, aren't ya' boy?"

Smiling at the old man's response, Luffy placed the hat back on his head with a laugh, before his eyebrow raised. "Old man, you know Shanks? He's no rookie...!"

Fixing his spectacles, the farmer looked surprised yet again. "What?!" He yelled, jumping up once more with a click of his ankles. "I heard he was a nobody that got accepted into Roger's crew!"

"Roger's...Crew?" Luffy repeated with blank eyes, before laughter split from his lips again. "You mean twenty-something years ago, don't you Old man?"

The man stared at Luffy, his eyes furrowing underneath his spectacles. His eyes glazing over, the old-man whispered out a few words, before shaking his head. "Twenty years ago, you say?" He repeated, before something seemed to click in his mind, waking him from his daze. "How rude of me!" Stepping back from the boy, the old-man bowed his head, causing Luffy to raise an eyebrow. "Please do excuse my manners, it's a pleasure to meet you..._?_"

Leaving the last word for the teen to answer, Luffy grinned, placing both his hands on his hips. "Monkey D. Luffy!" He proudly exclaimed, leaving the old-man to slightly smile.

Nodding, the man straightened his back and turned to look up to Luffy, pushing his spectacles closer to his eyes. "And what brings you to the island, Luffy?"

Luffy stared at the man questionably, before bluntly stating back with a nod. "To become Pirate King."

"Ah yes." The man nodded. "Of course. You are here to...to become the Pirate..._K__ing_?!" Jumping up in surprise, the old man immediately backed away, his cows becoming his shield.

Laughing at the man's response, Luffy let his hands fall down to his sides. "You're strange, old-man." Looking around, the teen's laugh slowly turned into a pout, his eyes sending the old-man a confused stare. "Hey, would you know the way to the execution stand?"

Bringing himself out of thought, the old-man raised an eyebrow, sending the teen back this questioning look. "The...-_execution stand? _What on earth are you going on about boy?"

"Huh?" Luffy halted his search as he drew all attention to the man. "The one that Roger died on." Grinning slightly, he re-placed his hands onto his hips. "I 'wanna see it for myself!"

A strong breeze seemed to pass through the two as the teen finished his words;the older's pupils widening greatly as he stuttered. "R-Roger died? T-That's impossible!"

Blinking, Luffy furrowed his eyebrows;un-sure on how to react to the old-man's behavior. "Eh? You didn't know?" He asked, causing the older to slowly shake his head.

"Even thinking like that is insane. R-Roger's always been way too powerful for the Marine's to capture him. To think that..." Muttering under his breath, the older's words fainted, his eyes becoming slightly shadowed. "But..." Glancing back up to Luffy, the old-man sighed, placing his hand onto his head. "If Roger was executed on this island, I suspect it would have been in the town-square."

Deciding it would be best not to hang around any longer, Luffy smiled towards the man;sending his hand into the sky as he started to sprint into a random direction. "Yosh! Thanks old-man! See 'ya!"

Leaving behind the farm, Luffy missed the old-man shake his head;frowning at his previous words. Slowly turning back into the farm he lived in;the old-man took one last glance over his shoulder, a glare uttering out his eyes. Gripping the ends of the door with his nails, the older quickly slammed the door behind him.

* * *

"_Come here Portgas!_"

Leaning against the shattered wall that lay behind him, Ace sent the raging Marine a blank face;looking him up and down. "You _honestly _think that I'm going to just willingly hand myself over to you?"

Letting the drops of blood drip to the ground, Smoker growled;once again preparing his fight stance. "I would rather resign as a Marine and become a pirate than let you get away, Whitebeard Commander!"

Frowning at his words, Ace sighed, stepping slightly away from the wall, a smirk suddenly growing on hips lips. "Like any crew would have you." Smoker instantly replied, pouncing towards the freckled-pirate with his fist clenched. Moving one step to the side, Ace easily evaded the Marine's attack;grinning as Smoker flew past him and straight into the wall behind.

Turning around to face the fallen Marine, Ace looked surprised to see the man's features emotionless;the Marine simply brushing the debris off him with a glare. Of course, this glare was quickly sent towards Ace, Smoker slowly standing from where he had crashed. Ace stared at the Marine with curiosity, only for Smoker to close his eyes;slowly replacing the two cigar's into his mouth. "What are you doing here Portgas? Your kind hardly ever steps foot out of the New World, let alone Paradise. What's your reason of being here?"

Not expecting such a question _again_, Ace lowered his guard for a second, his eyes slowly narrowing. Allowing for the memories of the previous event's come back to mind, the Commander sighed;sending the Marine back a pained stare.

"I don't know."

"...You don't know?" Smoker replied, his eyebrows raising.

Nodding, Ace's lips lowered slightly, his arms crossing over each-other. "I woke up not too far from here, and to be honest...I think my memory's pretty messed up."

Frowning at the pirate's words, Smoker pressed on. "What do you mean?"

Tilting his head slightly to the side, Ace blinked, before a smirk quickly returned to his face. "It shouldn't matter to you now, should it _Smokey? _After-all, a second ago you wanted to kill me."

Biting down hard on the cigar's, Smoker looked to the side;before closing his eyes. "You're right." Clenching his knuckles together again, Smoker's fist returned to it's smoked-state;a pissed-off glare re-appearing in his eyes. "I shouldn't just be standing here talking to you."

Grinning at the harsh words, Ace's hands flared up;a familiar heat returning to his finger-tips.

However, as Smoker prepared to attack Whitebeard Pirate, a pang of the previous aura once again hit Ace's senses;causing Ace to instantly turn around in the aura's direction.

Taking the distraction as a chance to attack, Smoker immediately flew towards the Pirate;grinning slightly as his fist gladly connected to the back of Ace's head.

Almost instantly, Ace was sent flying in the opposite direction;crashing harshly into anything that lay in his way. "_S-Shit!_" Clawing the ground below;Ace was able to halt his hit, spitting out any blood which spewed into his mouth. Looking down at the ground where the blood had hit, Ace's eyes started to glaze over;not noticing the presence of the Marine growing closer.

"N-No..." He muttered out silently, bringing his hand jaggedly onto his chest. Once again returned the pain from before, causing for Ace to stumble back onto the ground in pain. Lifting his hand off of his chest, he glanced down to the sight of his palm, twitching as he saw it covered in red. "...I-It's not real." Shutting his eyes, he tried to control his breathing;though it turned out to be a hard-task, as he continued to feel the pain of missing half of his chest.

"_What's not real_?" A voice bellowed from above, causing Ace to look directly towards the source.

Squinting his eyes, his pupils instantly widened, his body jolting back instantly as he stared into the face of the Marine. "This cant be real..."

There in front of him, proudly stood the Admiral that supposedly ended his life, sending Ace a glare which could instantly kill the weak-hearted.

"_Sh-shit._"

* * *

**You have no idea how long I have wanted this chapter to come out x_x *dies*  
**

**ANYWAYS.**

**Luffy is lost for a reason xD. Remember in the Anime/Manga?-Luffy had to ask for directions from...*DUN DUN DUNN* Smoker! But Smoker's a 'lil busy at the moment with Ace, so he wasn't around to be asked :'3 -seeIthinkthesethingsthrough;3-  
**

**AND by Ace having 'a little fun with Smoker', No. Put your dirty lil' mind away and feel ashamed xD. -Onlynoticedhowitsounded'tillfriendpointeditout.3.-**

**I didn't want the fight scene to go on for so long 'cause 1: It takes about an hour to write each sentence 2: I don't want the Loguetown Arc-thingy to be long. We have _so much more _stuff to go through ;3; OHDEARLORD *glances at notes* 3: There had to be all that dialogue. 4: AKAINU. Yup. Bet you weren't expecting that ;D.  
**

**... .3.**

**SO ONTO THE REPLIES! xD:**

**FairyoftheLake: Muahaah ;D. Nope, but that obliviousness wont last for long. xD. I'm _pretty _sure Ace will find out what Luffy gets up to ;3 Thanks! :'3 **

**HarukaSennen: I'm sorry, but you'll just have to find out ;D. I don't think you'll be disappointed :'3 And thankyou! **

**scatteredPhilosopher: I'm glad you did! xD. I did apply this in this story though! xD. I remember re-watching that scene ('cause of English Dub ;D) and thinking why he didn't just use Haki -3-. And Thankyou xD. I'm sure that Mikan is the word for orange in Japanese, but that is based off my not-so-amazing anime knowledge!  
**

**rion-rion: I'm ****happy you love it! ;'3 I'm sure that Ace will be happy to find out his brother is lost. xD. Smoker's here! .3. Honestly, he's my favorite Marine...more than Coby. *dramatic gasps* .3. B-but he's awesome ;3;. Anyways, thanks!  
**

******Yua-hime: Yay! I'm glad ya' do! :'3 I tried my best to get Ace's personality, and it means a lot to hear that you think that it's what he would think/say/and do! And yup! That's not exactly a spoiler, 'cause I think One Piece itself makes it like Ace would be close to Luffy if he was with him from when they first set off. And I totally agree. I read a lot of AceLu FF's, and sometimes I find it would be _alot _better if they just stuck settled it down a bit, it can sometimes ruin the story ;3;. And ouch .3. What a horrible way to find out 'bout the death ;3; I kinda avoid the One Piece AMV's 'cause nearly every one shows his death =3=. YAY! z(.3.)z Someone else that rambles on xD! At least I'm not the only one ;D. Thank you for the amazing (and long .3.) review, and here's your next chapter! **

******Collette Nicole: And here's your next chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! ;3**

******yukiko hyuga-chan: xD I'm glad ya' loved it! ;'3 And yep xD. Ace uses Haki in this fight...like he should of in the Anime/Manga =3=". I have updated! I hope you enjoyed it!**

******TheRealEvanSG: xDD Actually, I haveta' agree xD. I know .3. You risk your own life by writing these stories...I'm always expecting someone from the story to come and attack me for making them feel so shit o3o Whoops...*looks off into the very interesting distance* Thanks! And I know xDD. I should put spaces after ;'s, but whenever I come round to it...I just shrug it off xD. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

******RobinLynnSpade: Ace doesn't think. I think that's the best explanation I can give for that xD. He did the same in Alabasta, so I doubt he would do it here. Tad distracting isn't it? xD. Comingfromthefutureafterbeingkilledthenbroughtbacktolifetofindhislil'brotherevenyoungerandbackintheEastBlue. *evilly laughs* ;3 You'll just have to find out 'bout that. xD. And I hope you enjoyed this kinda-fight! **

******ichigo1508: I'm happy ya' find it interesting! And here is your future update! :'3 I hope you enjoyed it! **

*******collapses* Thanks to _all _of the Reviewer's, I love to hear from you all! Also a thankyou to the follower's and the people who pressed the favorite button! :'3 **

******Sorry 'bout the long note, and I'll -_hopefully_- see you next week! xD.  
**

******That's all folks ;3 **

******-aslMeno**


	6. Chapter 6

**:note:**

**Woah, xD. I have actually had time to update early-_ish _on this one.**

**_I know. _****I am surprised as well_._**

**SO...!-I think I left the last chapter on a cliff-hanger. Right? Right. ;D**

**AND holay crap. Nearly 100 followers, and I have hardly wrote anything.**

**-Thanks guys! I always love to see people still enjoying these stories, 'cause I certainly have fun writing them ;D *Cheesy Romance Music Returns* And nearly (_oh so nearly_-) 50 reviews! **

**SO. Replies to these reviews are in the note below, and without further-ado, here's the next Chapter! **

**(Tip: Don't ever draw on other people's faces -or your own face- with a mysterious pen you found in the street. 'Cause it _never _comes off. _Ever. _o3o. *coughs awkwardly* You live and learn.)**

* * *

_Chapter 6 _

* * *

"What are _you_ doing here..." Ace hissed out;his tone tinted with disgust.

That man shouldn't─_no..._couldn't be here. He was meant to far away─_far, far _away from where _here _was.

Bringing his feet closer to his chest, Ace narrowed his eyes;his mind reverting back to the events at Marineford.

This bastard had gone towards Luffy─_his_ _Luffy_. The one that had accepted him despite the blood in his veins;the one that remembered everything Ace had told him...unlike the one he was currently staying with.

And he thinks he has the right to show up here, in front of him now?

_Hell no_─...Wait.

Shoving the previous thoughts away, Ace stared at the Marine with widened eyes;realization gleaming through his pupils.

_Why hasn't he moved yet?_

Slowly, Ace brought himself off the ground, his eyes still stuck onto Akainu's face. Hesitantly, Ace straightened his back;his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the Marine's actions.

"Where are you Portgas?!"

Hearing a distant call voice out to him, Ace swerved his eyes towards the direction the call was shouted from. Almost instantly, his pupils widened;his sight reaching Smoker's breath-less body running up to both him and Akainu. Bringing his stare back to where Akainu was standing, he immediately stumbled back;fire instinctively lighting up on his shoulder's.

There _still _stood Akainu;though this time he was smothered in the oozing lava he was made of, his eyes ready to kill.

Preparing the Marine's attack, Ace dug his heels into the ground. Raising his fists into his unique fighting posture, Ace sent Akainu back the deadly glare, unable to notice the shouts given by the _other _Marine behind.

"I-I won't lose this time, you _bastard_." Ace fired out, his frown deepening as Akainu simply smirked.

Clenching his fists together, Ace swung his arm back instantly;appearing closer towards the Marine within a second. Preparing his flames to be met with lava;Ace narrowed his eyes.

_It's all too easy._

A more worried tone hit the air, causing Ace to halt his actions and look towards the Marine behind Akainu. "..._Portgas_?"

"─Huh?" The fire-thrower mumbled out, confused as to why Smoker was staring at him with confused and _slightly_ concerned eyes.

Taking a hesitant step forward, Smoker's pupils quickly turned to hate;his eyes directed at the Admiral Ace had in hand. "Let go..." Smoker whispered out, his arm raising to the air and dispersing into smoke. "...of her."

"Of..._her_?" Ace questioned, surprised by Smoker's choice in words.

Why wasn't the man himself freaking out more? After all, coming across an Admiral wasn't something a Vice-Commander stationed in the East Blue would expect to come across. Also, why hadn't the bastard made his move alr─

_Who the **hell** was that?_

Instantly bringing his fist down from the Marine that stood in front of him, Ace backed away;his eyes widened with confusion. There in front of him now knelled a young breathless woman, her arms wrapped around her neck as she stared at Ace with fear. Reaching down for a sword placed not too far away from her, the woman stumbled up;fixing the glasses which were barely balancing on the tip of her nose.

"P-Portgas D. Ace! We h-hearby arrest you for not only the bounty you hold, but for attacking a Marine officer!" The woman declared to the frozen Ace, his mind over-laping the last few minutes.

Stepping slightly back from the two Marine's, Ace swallowed down his breaths;his eyes darting to places he could escape. Seeming to notice Ace's thoughts, Smoker started to walk towards immediately;fury tinted carelessly in his eyes. Biting down on his lip, Ace instantly took the nearest escape route, hurriedly running through the alleyways of shadowed streets.

Hearing the yells of both Marine's bellow behind him, Ace span round;lighting both arms into the air. Throwing the flames down onto the gravel below, a dangerous smirk spread across his face as the flames danced across the alleyway and houses around. Spinning around to continue running through the shadowed street's, the smirk faltered;a deep breath escaping his lips.

Finally coming across a light source, Ace darted into the streets of Loguetown;a relieved grin spreading across his face as he blended in with the oblivious citizens. Letting out deep breaths, Ace sighed;his eyes glazing over slightly as he remembered the smirking face of the Admiral he had previously '_thought_' he had come across.

Wringing his fingers through his hair, Ace briefly glanced to the sky above;his lips frowning slightly as he saw clouds take up his sight. "Damn weather..." He muttered out, his frown deepening as raindrops started to fall. Ignoring the abnormal sizzling that echoed from his shoulder's, Ace finally took in his surrounding's;his eyebrow raising slightly as he heard terrified shouts coming a few meters in front of him.

Curiously making his way over to where the screaming crowd was situated, Ace felt all the air around thinning;his pupils glued to the grinning _idiot _that was kneeling on a _certain _execution stand, waiting to get executed himself.

Holding in all his shaking breaths, Ace let out a whisper;the ground around him heating with his emotions. "Oh please god…" Clenching his fists, Ace's pupils trembled aimlessly, his tone inwardly gulping with his words. "…Don't let that be Luffy."

* * *

**OKAY! That was short. BUT...I think I update on this quite often(ish)...so don't go all Godzilla on meh. ;D.**

**So another cliff-hanger xD. I'm so mean...MUAHAHA─_so _some people have been eager to get to this bit in Lougetown, so I found this was the best place to end it ;D. Also, Ace didn't continue fighting with Smoker and Tashigi 'cause he was hallucinating. .3. You _really _don't 'wanna be in a fight when you're hallucinating. o3o"**

**Oh yeah. Did anyone notice that this was wrote _ever-so-slightly _differently? **

**...No? O'kay.**

***tumbleweed***

**Well, during the time I wasn't writing this, I was able to go over this and see things that I was doing wrong. And now, hopefully I have improved! (_I hope._)**

**Replies to the Reviews!: **

**Girl of Darkness10: We now have 0! We did it! ;'D. *throws confetti over you*. Thanks for alerting 'meh (and any other FF-_ers_) though, I appreciate it ;D. I hope that you enjoyed this update!**

**ichigo1508: Nope, there's no more days left...and we're still here! \(;3;)/ We stopped it!─_somehow._ Let's just hope it never comes back ;D. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**MoonlightQueenSnow: I'm glad you love it! And ya'll just have 'ta find out ;D. *Muahahaah:'3* Thanks for your review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**neverfall16: Muahaah;D. I was suspecting no-one would guess _he _would show up in the chapter. And yup. These are gonna be short chapter's! ;3; Sorry 'bout that, I just don't 'wanna rush it _at all_. I actually enjoy writing this story, so I 'wanna make it perfect before it ends! I hope you enjoyed this update, and thankyou for your review!**

**FairyoftheLake: xD. Yup. I honestly don't like OC in a non-OC story, but that Old-Man had 'ta come in. :'3 I hope you enjoyed this update, Thankyou for your review!**

**Where is the Chocolate: Thankyou! And here is more, I hope you enjoyed it!─Thankyou for your review!**

**TheBlackSpirit: AH. *hides behind an Iva-San cut-out*. Thankyou ^3^". I thought that one or two people might be upset by that cliffhanger, but you definitely top that lot ;D. I have updated!─And thanks! I used to do that s'well -_'cause my internet connection used to be shit_- so hearing someone else do that for my story is uplifting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for your review!**

**scatteredPhilosopher: ..._So it still counts?_─Right? o3o xD. Well, If he didn't in the last chapter, he definitely did in this one ;D. xD. AND AKAINU. I didn't like putting him in..._I swear._ But he had too... PFF. I'm glad you liked reading it!─And thanks for your review! **

**sisimiura: Well, I think you'll be happy with this chapter then xD. Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**yukiko-hyuga: xD. Whoops. Yep, It was unexpecting (is that even a word?o3o), but you 'gotta love the dramatics ;D. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for your review! **

**HarukiCSP: Sorry Dx.─But I'm glad you're enjoying it! I have updated! o3o Thanks for your review!**

***Collapses* **

**A huge _thankyou!_─to all the people who reviewed, or are now following this story. I have _no idea _when the next chapter is out, but let's hope it's soon─'kay? xD.**

**I'd love to hear what you think of the chapter...and Yeah. ~(.3.)~**

**That's all folks ;3**

**-aslMeno**


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